Gillard support strong within Labor

THREE-QUARTERS of Labor's most marginal seat holders are prepared to lose their seats in an electoral wipeout rather than back Kevin Rudd in a move one MP describes as the actions of ''scared rabbits''.

However, those supporting the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, believe she is still the best person for the job and can win the next federal election.

''People are not dancing in the street in support of the carbon price, but to try and take her out of play at a time when we have had all of the downside without any of the upside - the assistance, compensation and the lived experience - is just plain wrong,'' says David Bradbury, who holds the seat of Lindsay in Sydney's west by just 1.1 per cent.

MPs representing 15 of the most marginal 20 seats in Australia told The Sun-Herald they would back Ms Gillard in tomorrow's Labor leadership ballot.

The seats have margins between 0.3 per cent (Darren Cheeseman for Rudd) and 5.2 per cent (Peter Garrett for Gillard), which means the MPs would be flung from office if an election was held now.